Th13rteen

Chapter 26

Th13rteen

Chapter 26

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Alex...

After we left the Queen and the Princess alone, Harry led us through some more detailed hallways, before we arrived outside. I was in absolute awe as I stared out into the gardens of endless flowers that surrounded us.

There were all kinds of flowers weaved together in beautiful bushes and trees. The grass was the greenest I have ever seen. There were tables and chairs spread out, all made of the finest wood possible. It truly was something out of a fairytale, and I knew once Aurelia saw it, this would be her favorite place.

"It is so marvelous." Lindsey whispered, just as taken by the beauty around us as I was.

"It is the royal families private garden. Many mornings, days, and evenings alike were spent here." Harry told us, a heavy set look of nostalgia and sadness on his face as he looked around. He seemed to have almost forgotten the two of us were here with him.

"The sunrise was the most tremendous from this spot, as was the sunset. Once the sun went down, the fireflies would swarm the area, making it even more beautiful than it already was. Little Aurelia would chase them, laughing as they played together."

"The fireflies would...play with her?" I asked, curious, as well as astounded.

"Indeed. You see, because our gifts are centered around nature, we have a strong connection with life of all kinds. Animals and plants all have life. We cannot necessarily speak with creatures, but we can understand them, as they can us. Aurelia loved the forrest animals. She would lay with the woodland creatures for hours, would shower the butterflies with compliments, and befriend even the most wild of beasts."

He continued walking around the garden, examining every flower as he got lost in memory. "One day, I was keeping watch of the young princess while the elders had business to attend to. I turned a blind eye, and in a moment she was gone. I panicked, but when I found her, she was petting the biggest and deadliest creature I have ever seen. A giant wolf." He let out a breathy laugh. "She had the thing rolling around and yipping like a dog. It adored her. Even though we can communicate with animals to an extent, no one in the kingdom has ever tamed a wolf. That was when I knew she was the one. The child of the prophecy."

"That is a beautiful story." Lindsey commented.

I, however, couldn't speak. I was frozen in shock and amazement. I felt a swell of pride of how special and incredible my Princess was. It all made sense as well. Aurelia always had a big space in her heart for wildlife, and I had never seen an animal that didn't like her.

Harry took a step forward towards a bush full of tall sunflowers. I watched in astonishment as they seemed to gravitate towards him, ruffling their petals around his arm.

"Whoa." I finally found a small bit of my voice.

"Like I said before, plants have life, too. More life than people understand." He reached up and gently caressed one of the flowers. "The trees, flowers, they all think and feel just as we do. They feel happy, sad, love, and more, all the same. Whenever Aurelia was sad, she would sit out here. The flowers would wilt, feeling her sadness, but when she smiled again, they would blossom."

Looking at us for the first time, I gasped, shocked to see a tear trailing down his left cheek. "This is the last place the Marigold's were together, as a family."

I felt my heart sink, not liking the far off look in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

I knew.

I already knew exactly what he was going to say, but I needed to hear him confirm it.